Precision fermentation
Description of the innovative solution
Protein production in conventional animal farming systems has a very high environmental footprint and requires extensive land use. Cell cultures, especially those of yeast, have been genetically engineered to produce desired specific proteins. The yeast is grown in fermentation tanks with a productivity many-fold higher than in animal based systems. Input for growth of the yeast can be waste streams, sugar or other plant based material. Examples of precision fermentation are vanillin and enzyme of rennet, which turns milk into curds for cheese. Approved in the U.S. in 1990, rennet is now...
Protein production in conventional animal farming systems has a very high environmental footprint and requires extensive land use. Cell cultures, especially those of yeast, have been genetically engineered to produce desired specific proteins. The yeast is grown in fermentation tanks with a productivity many-fold higher than in animal based systems. Input for growth of the yeast can be waste streams, sugar or other plant based material. Examples of precision fermentation are vanillin and enzyme of rennet, which turns milk into curds for cheese. Approved in the U.S. in 1990, rennet is now widely used in cheese making. This innovation makes it possible to produce almost any complex organic molecule. These include the production of proteins (including enzymes and hormones), fats (including oils), and vitamins to precise specifications, abundantly, and ultimately at marginal costs approaching the cost of sugar.
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Precision Fermentation Company
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Precision fermentation and cellular agriculture
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